Beerenberg, New Office, Warehouse and Distribution Centre

Awards

High Commendation 2017 AIB Professional Excellence in a Commercial Construction $5 Million - $25 Million (SA Chapter)

The Beerenberg Family Farm is a South Australian icon farmed by the Paech family since 1839. On top of the ever-popular strawberry-picking season, the site has been used for the manufacture and distribution of Beerenberg’s award-winning products, sent to 23 countries and 300 hotels around the world.

To further business growth, Sarah was engaged to deliver a two-stage expansion of Beerenberg’s flagship site located on existing farmland directly behind their original facility. Stage One involved the design and construction of new offices, a warehouse, a fully functional distribution centre, a new customer car park and roadway upgrade. Preparations for a new production facility were also completed during Stage One, with the new building ready for the Stage Two slab installation and specialised equipment fit out, saving time and costs to the client for the future works. Sarah’s project team successfully delivered all aspects of Stage One, including design and flexible building solutions to accommodate future expansions and help ensure the Beerenberg Family Farm’s ongoing success.

For further information on Beerenberg and their new facilities, check out the links below:

Design Challenges and Creative Solutions

Inclement weather issues had the potential to cause delays. Sarah increased communication with sub-contractors and the client, to manage digging during winter and welding during summer around weather conditions.

Future-focused solutions such as the southern façade were included; this feature can be partially dismantled and later reinstated, to allow access for specialty equipment to be installed into the production facility during Stage Two.

A new electrical transformer was required for the newer, larger site, but timing was critical. Sarah’s team ensured installation at the right time to prevent project delays while also minimising service charges to the client by not installing too early.

Timing of the rainwater tank installation. Sarah’s team worked with the client to find the best time to install them, without interrupting farm requirements and to minimise additional water charges.

Sarah invested in additional temporary signage, to manage exclusion zones and direct customers to the store and strawberry patch from the main street. A secondary access track was created for construction machinery, minimising disruption to business operations. Communication was increased around use of communal roadways, to ensure the Beerenberg business was always the top priority.

Client Outcomes

Revitalised existing site through new purpose-built facility, to enable flexibility and future business growth.

Intelligent design to accommodate both staff movements into and out of food preparation areas, and increased on-site storage.

Existing Beerenberg business remained fully operational, while delivering new roadways and car parks, in time for the beginning of strawberry-picking season.

Sarah Value-Add

Sarah’s team was sensitive to the Paech family’s needs throughout the life of the project. The team spent time to develop an in-depth understanding of the family business and their long-term requirements for the new facility.

The project team went over and above to educate the client about smart building systems,including Seer Lighting, and their evolving security access requirements.

Working in the existing production and retail environment meant careful planning of works to avoid any obstruction to the Paech family operations.